Fighting fire is Champion family tradition

SWAMPSCOTT-Fire runs through the blood of several generations in one Swampscott family.At one point five members of Fire Chief Michael Champion’s family were serving on the department together and three generations of his family have fought fires in town for almost 100 consecutive years.Champion said despite the family tradition of firefighting, he didn’t anticipate entering firefighting as a career.?Growing up we were normal kids,” he said. “My mother would take us down to the station to see my father because he worked long hours but we didn’t live and breathe firefighting at home. I don’t even remember what I wanted to do when I grew up.”Champion, who is a graduate of St. Mary’s in Lynn, said he was attending North Shore Community College and majoring in business administration when decided to enlist in the U.S. Army.?When I came back from Vietnam, joining the fire department wasn’t on my list of things to do,” he said with a laugh. “But the job opportunity opened up and I needed a job. Once I started, I knew I was in for the long haul and I have no regrets. I like the camaraderie. It’s family. You live, work and eat together. We all take care of each other.”During the Vietnam War, Chief Champion was stationed in Germany when the New Ocean House fire occurred in 1969 – a fire in which his father, the late Capt. James E. Champion, who was appointed a permanent interim firefighter in 1945 and became a permanent firefighter in 1946, nearly lost his life,?I’ll never forget that,” Chief Champion said. “I opened up the Stars and Stripes newspaper and there was a story about that fire.”He added his father was appointed captain in 1950 and he retired in 1983.The Chief said his uncle Walter M. Champion Jr. was also a longtime member of the department Chief Champion said his uncle was appointed to the force in April 1938 after serving as a call firefighter for two years and he was promoted to captain in May 1942, then went on to serve as chief until his retirement in 1973.Chief Champion pointed out when his late uncle was promoted to chief in 1955 his father was also on the department.?I think at one point there were three or four of us on the department at the same time,” he said. “It got a little confusing.”Chief Champion said his father followed in his grandfather’s footsteps.?My grandfather (Walter M. Champion Sr.) joined the Swampscott Fire Department around 1911,” he said. “He was made a permanent call firefighter in 1916 and was appointed captain in 1919. He retired in 1950.”Chief Champion said he has seen a lot of changes in firefighting since he joined the department in the 1970s.?I’ve seen a lot of changes,” he said. “Fire departments are much more active now in medical aids and haz mat (hazardous materials) has come a long way. There have been a lot of improvements in breathing apparatus and gear.”Despite the improvements in gear, Michael said he still wears his old leather helmet to fires.?The older guys on the jobs don’t want to give up their leather helmets,” he said. “The newer ones have a lot of advantages, but us old guys like the leather helmets.”One change the current chief said he has seen that has him worried is the decrease in manpower over the years.?We used to have 40 guys,” he said. “We don’t have anywhere near that now. It’s tough. Everyone is cutting back everywhere and I’m afraid it’s going to get worse. The guys all give 100 percent but there’s only so much you can do with fewer guys.”The Chief is only the member of his family still on the department and he said he may be the last.?I’m probably the last,” he said. “My daughter’s not coming this way. She’s studying nursing.”